Historical review of articulation testing and a recent revision of auditory test no. 9

This paper reviews the history of articulation testing and presents a revision of a standard articulation test.

Validation of an automated algorithm for auditory brainstem response testing

This paper discusses the auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing for infants.

The structural component of linguistic meaning and the reading of normally hearing and deaf children

This paper discusses an experiment in psycholinguistic method and its application to the field of education.

Evaluating lexically controlled word lists for open set speech perception testing in profoundly hearing impaired children

This paper evaluates speech perception testing in pediatric cochlear implant users. Using pre-recorded stimulus presentation, the author replicated an earlier experiment comparing the Lexical Neighborhood List (LNT) test to the Phonetically Balanced Kindergarten (PB-K) test in estimating speech perception abilities in hearing impaired children.

Changes in the use of ABR testing for differential diagnosis of hearing loss from 1984 to 2002

This paper studies trends in the use of diagnostic auditory brainstem response (ABR) at St. Louis Children's Hospital from 1984 to 2001 in light of legislative changes in Missouri mandating screening for hearing loss in all newborns beginning January 1, 2002.

A literature review of three common balance tests: Electronystagmography, Rotary Chair Testing, and Computerized Dynamic Posturography

This paper discusses the rationale, clinical applications, advantages and disadvantages of three common balance function tests: Electronystagmography (ENG), Rotational Chair Testing (RCT), and Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP).

Stable Isotope Analysis Reveals That Agricultural Habitat Provides an Important Dietary Component for Nonbreeding Dunlin

Although shorebirds spending the winter in temperate areas frequently use estuarine and supratidal (upland) feeding habitats, the relative contribution of each habitat to individual diets has not been directly quantified. We quantified the proportional use that Calidris alpina pacifica (Dunlin) made of estuarine vs. terrestrial farmland resources on the Fraser River Delta, British Columbia, using stable isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N) of blood from 268 Dunlin over four winters, 1997 through 2000. We tested for individual, age, sex, morphological, seasonal, and weather-related differences in dietary sources. Based on single- (δ13C) and dual-isotope mixing models, the agricultural habitat contributed approximately 38% of Dunlin diet averaged over four winters, with the balance from intertidal flats. However, there was a wide variation among individuals in the extent of agricultural feeding, ranging from about 1% to 95% of diet. Younger birds had a significantly higher terrestrial contribution to diet (43%) than did adults (35%). We estimated that 6% of adults and 13% of juveniles were obtaining at least 75% of their diet from terrestrial sources. The isotope data provided no evidence for sex or overall body size effects on the proportion of diet that is terrestrial in origin. The use of agricultural habitat by Dunlin peaked in early January. Adult Dunlin obtained a greater proportion of their diet terrestrially during periods of lower temperatures and high precipitation, whereas no such relationship existed for juveniles. Seasonal variation in the use of agricultural habitat suggests that it is used more during energetically stressful periods. The terrestrial farmland zone appears to be consistently important as a habitat for juveniles, but for adults it may provide an alternative feeding site used as a buffer against starvation during periods of extreme weather. Loss or reduction of agricultural habitat adjacent to estuaries may negatively impact shorebird fitness, with juveniles disproportionately affected.